Shao Yu and Qin Shuwen were presented to Lin Hua one by one by Liu Tong. Lin Hua was a simple individual. He assumed they were not strangers because they were all members of Xu Ran's family. As a result, he casually stated, "You don't have to be concerned. I already have a crush on someone. He is a guy in the same way that I am. I'm not going to do anything. Is it okay if I hold the child?"
Lin Hua had already taken the kid from Shao Yu's arms while Liu Tong and the others were still stunned.
Xu Ran had informed Liu Tong about Lin Hua and Zhao Chen's narrative, and the two of them had fought about it, leaving Xu Ran in bed for days. Thus, Liu Tong was only shocked for a brief while before regaining his composure.
The other two, Qin Shuwen and Shao Yu, on the other hand, had never heard that two guys could be in love with one other and were taken aback. When the kid in Shao Yu's arms was taken away, he didn't even flinch.
Lin Hua seems to enjoy children. He began to taunt Baozi when he had him all to himself. Baozi was awake, and even a three-month-old infant could laugh. Baozi couldn't stop giggling while being taunted.
Hearing the laughter, Qingshu, who was in Qin Shuwen's arms, began to laugh as well. Lin Hua had also just taken Qingshu into his arms. Qingshu was not afraid of the stranger since he has seen tiny Baozi. For almost a month, the two children had become acquainted.
As a result, when Xu Ran led Zhao Chen into the living room, he noticed Lin Hua with each arm carrying a child.
Xu Ran strolled over and returned to Qin Shuwen with the kid in Lin Hua's arm, before taking Baozi into his own arms "You went in the door, holding my child, and didn't even say hello. Didn't you notice that they were all Ge'ers when you arrived? Regardless, you should have rushed into the room. Tell me there's no wrong with your brain, Lin Hua!"
Lin Hua was disappointed that the children had been taken away, but he was also ashamed when he heard Xu Ran admonish him "Don't behave in this manner! Anyway, we're almost there. It makes no difference whether or not I welcome you. After all, you don't think I don't like Zhao Chen, so I'm not going to do anything to Ge'ers."
Xu Ran gritted his teeth and looked him in the eyes "You have the audacity to say anything! If a visitor comes to my house and hears what you said, you will perish as a result of gossip. Is it possible for you to smack some sense into your head?"
Xu Ran taught Lin Hua a lesson, yet he was not upset at all. He reflected about Xu Ran's remarks and realized he had been too careless.
He smiled and apologized to Xu Ran, "I know I was wrong. Don't be angry. You get angry the first time I come to your house. I would think that you don't welcome me." Lin Hua tugged at his sleeves like a child and winked at Zhao Chen standing next to him.
Zhao Chen sighed, stepped forward and said to Xu Ran, "Xu Ran, this is Lin Hua. Don't bother with him. He's right. We're here for the first time. You can't just ignore us because you're angry."
Zhao Chen was obviously come to mediate a truce. Xu Ran was also aware of this. He gave Lin Hua a sidelong glance before deciding to ignore him for the time being. Zhao Chen was introduced to Liu Tong and the others by Xu Ran.
"Tongtong, Shuwen, Shao Yu, this is Zhao Chen, the one Lin Hua likes. I met them when I went to He Shui Town for the Spring Test."
Xu Ran presented Liu Tong, as well as the other two people, one by one. They exchanged greetings, and they were now all acquainted. Lin Hua approached Xu Ran after he presented Zhao Chen and said she want to hold the kid in Xu Ran's arms.
Xu Ran looked displeased. He just wanted to say, "Why don't you have a baby of your own if you like babies?"
Xu Ran, on the other hand, bit his tongue at the prospect of Zhao Chen and Lin Hua not being able to have children. Forget about it. He may as well be kind for once and stop bothering Lin Hua.
It was near midday when they arrived. Xu Ran said to Zhao Chen and Lin Hua after they had been chatting on their feet for a time, "You must be exhausted after your journey. You couldn't have gotten a decent night's sleep on the road. First, take a warm shower. After you've finished your lunch, go to bed for a bit. Have you brought any clothing with you, by the way?"
Lin Hua was too preoccupied with teasing the child to pay attention to Xu Ran. Zhao Chen could only respond on his own. ", he explained "Yes. We planned on staying here for a few days. We have nothing to do and it doesn't matter to us if we stay here for a few more days, so we have long-prepared clothing and such."
Xu Ran said, "That's good. You guys have a seat first. I'll go to see Lin Xi. Your luggage is still kept by him. I don't know why it takes him so long to unload the carriage."
Xu Ran walked outside as he spoke, to the stable.
As a result, when Xu Ran came, he noticed Gao Quan and Lin Xi conversing. No wonder Lin Xi took so long to unload the carriage, Xu Ran reasoned. It turned out that he had met someone with whom he could communicate.
Speaking of which, Xu Ran was still asleep when Lin Xi departed. All of it had been provided to Lin Xi by Liu Tong. Xu Ran had also forgotten about it after that. It seems like Xu Ran owed him an apology.
As soon as Gao Quan went over, he spotted Xu Ran. He cocked his head but didn't say anything. It was nothing new to Xu Ran. Gao Quan was and had always been a quiet individual.
Lin Xi likewise lifted his head when he noticed Gao Quan doing so, and he noticed Xu Ran. "Young Master Xu," he hastily said as he went forward.
Xu Ran smiled and said, "Lin Xi, I apologize to you for what happened last time. Please forgive me."
Lin Xi waved his hand instantly, "Don't say that. I brought everything back."
"It's great that you don't mind. You must be exhausted from your lengthy journey. Take a break in the front yard for a bit. Lin Hua and Zhao Chen's baggage has yet to arrive."
Lin Xi heard Xu Ran and scratched his head awkwardly, "I forgot about it. I'm going now."
He then proceeded to the carriage, retrieved two large bags, and strolled to the front yard. Xu Ran was amused by the situation. He thought the three of them were all careless.
Gao Quan, on the other hand, was already giving the horses hay. He seemed to have a great time feeding the horses. Xu Ran remained silent, stood for a moment, and then walked to the front yard.
It was always improper for Liu Tong and the others to speak with Zhao Chen. Furthermore, now that there was a Lin Xi, it was preferable for Xu Ran to keep them company.
When Xu Ran entered the living room, he saw that only Liu Tong and Qin Shuwen were present. They were both holding a child in their arms. Lin Xi, who had just arrived, went unnoticed by Xu Ran. "Tongtong, where are they?" Xu Ran inquired of Liu Tong.
Liu Tong said, "Shao Yu has heated up the water. They went to take a shower. Lin Xi went over to send them clothes."
Xu Ran nodded, indicating that he understood. "Then I'll go upstairs and see the rooms where they'll be staying. The rooms have been left unattended for far too long and need to be cleaned."
Their house had a lot of rooms, but only four of them were occupied. Lin Xi had previously been in this hotel and was able to use the same room. Lin Hua and Zhao Chen might be able to share a room. However, it had not yet been decided whether they would reside in the room on their side or the room across from them.
Liu Tong glanced at Qin Shuwen next to him and said to Xu Ran, "Ran, let Lin Hua live in the opposite room!"
Xu Ran considered it. Their room was just next to Qin Shuwen's. On their right was Tangtang and Guoguo's chamber. Lin Hua could only reside in the room adjacent to Qin Shuwen's if he resided on their side, which was completely inappropriate.
Xu Ran nodded, "I got it. I'll invite them to join Lin Xi in the room adjacent to his. My godfather and the others will most likely arrive tomorrow, and they will almost certainly remain, so all I have to do now is clean up the rooms! Tongtong, help Shao Yu in the kitchen!"
"Okay," Liu Tong nodded and stood up, handing Baozi to Qin Shuwen, "Shuwen, take care of Baozi for me. I'll go help Shao Yu."
Qin Shuwen snatched Baozi from the ground and cradled him in his arms. Qin Shuwen rose up and said, "With each baby in one arm, "I'm going for a walk in the yard. I haven't left the house in a long time."
That was exactly the case. Qin Shuwen helped Liu Tong in babysitting for Baozi as he went to do chores. He chose not to go outdoors since it was inconvenient for him to walk with two toddlers in his arms. However, due to Xu Ran's hectic schedule, the wheelbarrows he described before were delayed.
Now it was time for everyone to get to work. The lunch was prepared fast because there were two persons preparing. When Lin Hua and the others emerged, they immediately began to have lunch.
Xu Ran went downstairs for lunch after changing the beds. He had prepared the quilts ahead of time in case they had visitors but no quilts, which would have been embarrassing.
Lin Hua and the other two went to rest after lunch. Wu Mei was the target for Xu Ran. They were going to start preparing the meal for tomorrow. He also borrowed the table from someone else's home. Originally, Xu Ran was adamant about not putting a table in his own yard because he didn't want others to see the inside of his home.
However, dining outside in this weather was not ideal. They couldn't set the table outdoors since everyone knew they didn't live in the bamboo house anymore.
After much deliberation, the front yard was determined to be the most acceptable location. Fortunately, Xu Ran knew the folks he hired to cook for them, so he didn't have to be concerned about strangers roaming around his house.
Nothing was precious below, and no one would go upstairs unless they were invited. Xu Ran gave it some thinking and decided that it was okay.
He would go to the restaurant like Zhuo Yun had done it if it weren't for the fact that the village was distant from the town and there were too many people.
Nevertheless, inviting people from the hamlet to the restaurant was not a good idea because the business's food supply was limited. Having attended the village dinners twice, Xu Ran was familiar with the general condition of the village feasts. Xu Ran had only considered dining out at a restaurant once before dismissing the idea.
Wu Mei and the other Ge'ers were in charge of the cooking, while Xu An and the others were in charge of serving the food. There was adequate aid with the aid of the village head's two eldest sons. Xu Ran has no intention of inviting any further guests.
Xu Ran hurried to inform Wu Mei and the others of the situation, and everyone soon assembled at their home.
They had to speak quietly since Xu Ran had expressly said that they had visitors sleeping in their home.
Wu Mei and the others were intrigued by the visitors described by Xu Ran, and they continued asking him who they were.
Xu Ran couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry since he thought they were being too gossipy. They wouldn't stop if Xu Ran didn't tell them the truth, based on the existing circumstance.
Xu Ran felt powerless, and all he could say was, "When I took the Spring Test in He Shui Town, I ran into them. Later, when I went to the county to take the Autumn Test, I ran into them again. That's how we became acquainted."
They heard Xu Ran's answer and realized they couldn't keep asking him questions. The visitors must be intellectuals because they took the Spring and Autumn Exam together.
Thus, they all got back to work.
_____
Lin Hua saw through the window as he awoke. It was nearly dark. The sun seems to have set a long time ago. Lin Hua didn't stir Zhao Chen awake since he was still sleeping alongside him. Then, while he focused, he heard a lot of people downstairs conversing.
Lin Hua assumed that they were the helpers that Xu Ran had invited. The house would get quite lively if their family hosted a dinner or visitors.
Lin Hua stood up from his bed, stretched and relaxed. On the wooden shelf in the room, there was an iron basin with some water inside. Lin Hua dressed up and cleaned his face, enjoying Xu Ran's thoughtfulness.
When Lin Hua approached the doorway, he noticed that the door to the next room was also open, and Lin Xi emerged from it. Lin Hua nodded and said, "How was your sleep?" as Lin Xi greeted him.
Lin Xi scratched his head and was a bit embarrassed, "I'm fine. How about you?"
Lin Hua nodded, "I've slept enough too. You can go down now! I will go to call Zhao Chen."
"Okay!" Lin Xi responded and went downstairs.
This wasn't their own house, after all. In Xu Ran's house, there were still visitors. Lin Hua considered it for a time before deciding to rouse him awake.
Zhao Chen has trouble sleeping on strange beds. However, he hadn't slept well at home earlier in the day, and he hadn't napped on the trip here. He was so tired just now that he fell asleep without even picking at the bed.
Besides, Xu Ran's bed was quite comfortable, and the quilt was quite warm. In addition, there is the living environment. Lin Hua was even a little jealous.
He took a tour of the home inside, then came to the window and stared out the window, muttering to himself "Let's move in and live here until we're old, Zhao Chen. Okay?"
"Okay!"
Lin Hua turned around when he heard the response and found Zhao Chen sitting in a stupor on the bed. Lin Hua grinned and kissed him on the lips. "I wanted to call you, but you seem to wake up on your own."
Zhao Chen rubbed his eyes and asked Lin Hua, "What time is it now?" He looked like a child at the moment.
Lin Hua was so tempted to do something, but neither the time and the location was right, so he had to endure.
Lin Hua said, "It is getting dark, dusk time! Will you get up?"
"Yes, I will. It sounds so lively. Is someone here?" Zhao Chen asked.
Lin Hua brought his clothing over for him to put on and said, "It should be the helpers invited by Xu Ran. After all, Baozi will celebrate his one hundredth birthday tomorrow."
"Mm, I'm hungry. Let's head downstairs for a bite to eat. I'd want to wash my face, by the way. Go downstairs and fetch some water for me." Zhao Chen said.
Lin Hua pointed to the basin on the wooden shelf behind him. "There's water inside, but I've used it. If you don't mind."
Zhao Chen rolled his eyes at Lin Hua, "Have I ever minded?"
Lin Hua thought about it seriously, "No."
Zhao Chen got dressed and pushed him away. "Stay away. I shall wash my face."
Lin Hua, who had wanted to be lovey-dovey with Zhao Chen, could only sulk and step aside when he saw his reluctance. Zhao Chen cleaned his face before accompanying him downstairs. They walked directly to the kitchen since the sounds downstairs were coming from the kitchen.
There were other Ge'ers and men in the kitchen with Xu Ran and Liu Tong. They conversed while they worked. Lin Hua noticed Lin Xi among them as well. "It's very lively," he smiled as he moved over with Zhao Chen.
Xu Ran raised his head at the words. "You two are up! Are you hungry? We can have the meal dinner soon."
Lin Hua shook his head. "Not yet. We have just eaten before the sleep. How can we be hungry so soon? Are you guys preparing for tomorrow?"
Xu Ran nodded, "Yes!" Then he said to Lin Hua, "Allow me to give you a little introduction. We asked them over to help since they're all from Xu Village and we get along well. This Xu An, and this is Wu Mei, his spouse."
Xu Ran introduced each person one by one, then pointed to Lin Hua and Zhao Chen and said, "They were my He Shui Town acquaintances. This is Lin Hua, and This is Zhao Chen. There's no need to be formal; simply address them by their first names."
Wu Mei and others greeted them when Xu Ran finished speaking, and Lin Hua and Zhao Chen answered one by one. Lin Hua was a naturally jovial person, and his comments often made others chuckle. After a few words, the space between them had narrowed significantly.
"Dad."
"Dad."
Lin Hua was ready to continue speaking when two similar children's voices sounded from behind him. Lin Hua turned around to see the twins in front of him staring at Xu Ran.
Lin Hua felt as though he had surrendered his heart to them. He knelt down and kissed each of the children on the cheeks "You have to be Xu Ran's children! What are your first and last names? You're very adorable! Can you give me one, Xu Ran?"
Before Xu Ran could react, Zhao Chen had given him a slap from behind, "What are you blabbering? The kids are human beings rather than objects. How can they be given to you?"
Xu Ran rubbed his chin and turned to face Lin Hua and then Zhao Chen. Despite his dissatisfaction with what Lin Hua stated, he could understand since his child was so adorable.
Xu Ran was afraid that Lin Hua would scare the two kids, so he pulled them to his side and told them, "Tangtang, Guoguo, these two have no ill intentions. They are my friends, this is Uncle Lin and this is Uncle Zhao."
Tangtang and Guoguo exchanged glances with Lin Hua and Zhao Chen. They greeted them until they saw they didn't appear like evil men. Lin Hua felt his heart melt as he received the greetings.
Although the two babies still in the cradles were adorable, it was clear that the two in front of them were much more so, and they appeared to be identical.
Lin Hua was not supposed to be allowed to play alongside Tangtang and Guoguo, according to Xu Ran. He knew, however, that if he refused, Lin Hua would be devastated. As a result, he added kindly, "Have some fun with these two uncles for a bit, Tangtang and Guoguo. Chinese chess and Five in a Row are two games you may play."
Xu Ran had Tangtang and Guoguo obey him. It was acceptable to have fun with the two boys because their father had claimed they weren't bad people. Anyway, it was fun to play against new people.
The twins had meticulously arranged everything and then strolled over to grasp each other's hands. "Let's go to the living room!" exclaimed Tangtang, "]Guoguo and I will play chess with you!"
"Okay!" Lin Hua agreed quickly, fearing that if he waited too long, Tangtang and Guoguo might change their minds.
Tangtang and Guoguo did not retract their statements, although they did think Lin Hua was odd. Because only one set of Five in a Row was available, it could only be played by two people. Tangtang and Guoguo had to be split.
Lin Hua was given the opportunity by Zhao Chen, and Tangtang was the one who trained him. After all, Guoguo lacked Tangtang's patience.
Zhao Chen and Guoguo played chess. They had been studying chess since Lin Xi had reclaimed it from Xu Ran last year. Furthermore, they had mastered it by playing it every now and again during the previous six months. Zhao Chen, on the other hand, was a bit apprehensive. After all, Guoguo was a child, so he pondered whether he should make some concessions. What if after he lost, he refused to play with him?
Nevertheless, it turned out that he had over-thought things. Guoguo, on the other hand, was clearly superior to him. Zhao Chen couldn't remember what happened after losing the first round inexplicably.
When it came to chess, Guoguo had no mercy. His father believes that if a person can't even defeat a child, he shouldn't pretend to know how to play. He should be ashamed of himself!
Zhao Chen was defeated by Guoguo in multiple rounds. Guoguo gently explained how to devour the opposing player's chess pieces while starting a new game, seeing his irritated expression. Zhao Chen was acutely aware of his inadequacy!
He now accepted Xu Ran's claim that his son was superior to him. The youngster, according to Xu Ran, was under the age of seven. Zhao Chen felt like if there was a hole on the ground right now, he would crawl into it.
However, Lin Hua on the other game was not better than Zhao Chen.
Tangtang didn't play seriously in the first few rounds since he was teaching Lin Hua how to play. Tangtang's technique altered a lot when Lin Hua declared he had mastered it. The round was ended before Lin Hua could position numerous pieces on the board.
Furthermore, the same situation occurred over and over. Lin Hua might have used his unfamiliarity as an excuse at initially, but he was humiliated after so many rounds, moreover Five in a Row was not tough!
Children, on the other hand, were gullible. Tangtang couldn't think of anything else. They might win or lose when playing chess with other family members. They usually drew a tie when he played with Guoguo.
When they fought Xu Ran, they lost more, but Xu Ran was clearly more experienced.
Lin Hua and Zhao Chen were most likely in a state of "come in good spirits, but return frustrated." They intended to torment the two children, but they were mocked by children. When Xu Ran walked over to invite them to supper, he noticed their heads hanging in frustration.
Xu Ran grinned as he looked at the chess pieces that had been put away and Tangtang and Guoguo's puzzled expressions. "Okay, don't underestimate them only because of their age. They are excellent chess players. I can't even compete with them. You're going to have to remain here anyhow. After school, they can teach you two. Let's go eat now, shall we?"
Lin Hua and Zhao Chen recognized they had won too many rounds today when they saw Lin Hua's and Zhao Chen's expressions. This was why they were so beaten.
06.17.21